Arsenal’s contract rebel Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is ready to make a move away from the Emirates in search of regular first team football, and not because of money, as per the reports from the Daily Mirror.
The 23-year-old England international only has a year left on his current deal with the Gunners and wants to leave the club. Manager Arsene Wenger, however, has stated that he wants Chamberlain to stay. As quoted by Sky Sports, the Frenchman said:
“100 per cent, I expect him to stay. No matter the speculation, he will stay.”
But the midfielder has reportedly turned down two offers from Arsenal and this seems to have alerted a lot of Premier League clubs, most notably Chelsea and Liverpool.
The Premier League duo have shown their potential interest in signing the 23-year-old and a bidding war can well be expected. Although Arsenal are yet to receive an official offer for the player, they are reportedly targeting AS Monaco’s Thomas Lemar and Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez. Should any one of them arrive, Chamberlain will see his role restricted to the bench.
Last season, he made 29 league appearances and towards the business end of the season, he played as a right wingback – a role that he does not prefer.
Our gaffer, Jurgen Klopp, seems to be a big admirer of the Englishman and the versatility that he will bring to the table. As a result, he wants to add him to his roster. However, he faces a tough battle with Chelsea. His desire may well be cut short as a recent report from the Express Sport claims that Chelsea are planning to lodge an offer for the 23-year-old, who is rated at £25million.
Luring this former Southampton man out of the Emirates won’t be a laborious task as only quite recently, Wenger hinted that he might use the three-at-back formation next season. The lack of Champions League football could also be a major factor. The only thing Liverpool need to do now is to outbid their fellow Premier League rival if they indeed intend to bring him in at Anfield.
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